MUSEUM BLOG
The Story of Dr. Guilford B. Reed and his Influenza Vaccine
With the help of two research assistants, Dr. Reed developed a flu vaccine from the bacteria in naso-pharyngeal swabs of people infected with the Spanish Flu.
The History of Vaccinations: The Build Up to the Spanish Flu
An understanding of disease resistance has existed in written records as far back as 429 BCE when the Greek historian Thucydides acknowledged that those who survived a smallpox epidemic in Athens were subsequently protected from the disease. Since a basic understanding of the biological underpinnings of infection was not understood for a long time, it was not until 900 AD when the Chinese developed a rudimentary smallpox inoculation. Chinese physicians noted how uninfected people who were exposed to a smallpox scab were less likely to acquire the disease or, if they did, that it was milder. The most common method of inoculation was to inhale crushed smallpox scabs through the nostrils.
Dr. Guilford B. Reed: The Influenza Vaccine That (sort of) Worked
Born in Port George, Nova Scotia in 1887, Dr. Guilford Bevil Reed grew up on the East coast as the son of the prominent ship builder and architect, William Reed. While living in the Annapolis Valley, Guilford developed a deep love of the natural world. He spent his days surrounded by five siblings and endless apple orchards, and maintained a curiosity that propelled him throughout his life.
From Variolation to Cowpox Vaccination: The First Steps Towards Eradicating Smallpox
Edward Jenner looms large in the history of vaccination. Known today as the “father of immunology,” Jenner is most famous for developing a vaccine against smallpox in the 1790s. The vaccine brilliantly made use of common knowledge. Milkmaids were known for having noticeably clear and smooth skin. They had, it seemed, managed to develop an immunity to smallpox by suffering (and surviving) a bout of the much milder cowpox.
Raising Awareness about Tuberculosis – World TB Day, 24 March 2012 Pt. 2
Many people in the West have never thought about tuberculosis as a risk to their health. Tuberculosis is often considered to be a disease of the past. In other locations around the world tuberculosis is a dangerous epidemic that affects thousands of people and their communities. 1.7 million people died from TB in 2009.
Raising Awareness about Tuberculosis – World TB Day, 24 March 2012 Pt. 1
Tuberculosis is caused by an infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, rod-shaped bacteria that are spread mostly through air-born droplets or dust micro-particles of dried sputum.Those who develop active pulmonary tuberculosis experience a range of signs and symptoms, including chest pain, cough, weight loss, pallor, fever, and night sweats.
History of Health Care: Quarantine and Isolation
Before the nineteenth century, quarantine and isolation had been practiced in an effort to protect the community from contagious diseases such as plague and smallpox in the absence of specific treatment. Such diseases were considered contagious even though the cause and method of transmission were not known.
History of Health Care: Vaccination
Vaccination as a deliberate attempt to protect humans against disease has a short history. In spite of this, vaccination has had a major effect on the reduction of mortality and length of life.
A Brief History of Isolation and Infectious Disease
Contagious disease has challenged society throughout human history. Quarantine and isolation was practiced in response to the pandemics of bubonic plague and cholera, beginning in the Middle Ages.In the 18th and 19th centuries, smallpox led to smallpox hospitals in some large urban communities.